And since the Indiana Pacers have to start their 2012-13 season without star forward Danny Granger, that’s the philosophy that swingman Paul George is choosing to adopt.

With Granger out indefinitely nursing a sore knee that has been bothering him since Indiana’s playoff run last season, George is hoping to open the door of opportunity that’s currently in front of him.

“I see this as a good chance for me,” he said after a morning shootaround at the Air Canada Centre hours before the Pacers kicked off their season against the Raptors. “You never want to see your star player go down, but with that being the circumstance, I definitely have to step it up.”

George averaged 12.1 points per game in his second season in the league last year. Granger, meanwhile, in his lowest-scoring season since 2006-07, averaged 18.7.

But although the 22-year-old admits that the absence of the seven-year veteran adds extra weight to his young shoulders, he’s not afraid of the challenges that lay ahead.

“Having Danny out hurts because he’s our leader, and this definitely adds a little pressure going into the season, but starting off this year, I really wanted to be aggressive and really try to step out as an offensive player anyway,” George said. “Plus, I like the pressure.

“I don’t want to necessarily think about it too much or make too much of it, but the pressure is certainly there. We’re talking about a guy who has averaged 20-plus points almost his entire career and when he goes down, somebody has to take the load.”

Luckily for George, he won’t be the only player to whom the Pacers will turn while Granger’s away.

According to head coach Frank Vogel, everyone on his roster should take this opportunity to shine.

“I told them all loud and clear that this isn’t a (situation where) one man has to step up and fill that role,” Vogel said. “The strength of our team is that we’re a team — we play together, we share the basketball, and we play as one — everybody has to step up with the mindset of being more assertive.”

That doesn’t mean Vogel’s specific hopes for George this season aren’t high, however.

Since the Pacers selected him 10th overall in the 2010 draft, George has performed well, but hasn’t exactly excelled in the NBA. Now, with his star player out to start the season, Vogel has reasons to believe this year could be different.

For one thing, George spent the off-season meticulously working out the kinks in his game — in his words, “being a better ball handler, getting players open” — and Vogel thinks it may have paid off.

“Paul probably worked harder this summer than he has in his life on improving his game and it has shown,” the Pacers coach said. “In the pre-season, we asked him to be extra assertive, to almost experiment a little bit to find his way, and he did that.

“He’s playing solid basketball and we expect him to have a very strong season.”